How Richard Branson Hires

I love LinkedIn’s “How I Hire” series, as it gives very interesting insight into what some of the most influential minds in the professional world value in their employees.

One of the most recent contributors is Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. Being such a progressive entrepreneur, one might assume Mr. Branson looks to resumes to identify the most innovative, accomplished minds in the business. But the thing he actually looks for first? Personality.

As he says in the article:

There is nothing more important for a business than hiring the right team. If you get the perfect mix of people working for your company, you have a far greater chance of success. The first thing to look for when searching for a great employee is somebody with a personality that fits with your company culture.

I find his take very refreshing, as matching the company culture is essential for both the job applicant and the hiring decision maker. This is actually a topic I discuss in depth in my book, From Cornered To Corner Office.

I recommend you check out the article to learn more from Mr. Branson, and I encourage you to share your personal experiences with company culture – those that fit and those that didn’t.